Elon figure receives Order of the Long Leaf Pine

Published: Saturday, June 14, 2014 at 03:43 PM.

Former Burlington and Alamance County teacher and now Elon University Vice President Emerita Jo Watts Williams received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in a ceremony last month, the university announced last week.

State Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, and Elon University President Leo M. Lambert presented the honor on behalf of Gov. Pat McCrory as part of Elon’s annual Staff Appreciation. The event was held at McCrary Theater on May 30.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is a state honor recognizing individuals who have provided extraordinary service to North Carolina in the area of community service. It was first given in 1963.

An Elon graduate in 1955, Williams came to the area from Anson County. She served as a public school teacher in Burlington, Concord and Alamance County for 14 years. She held leadership positions in several education organizations, including the N.C. Association of Educators, before returning to Elon in 1969 as an instructor in the department of education and psychology.

Williams earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from UNC Greensboro. In 1977, she became Elon’s associate dean of academic affairs and director of the learning resource center.

She became vice president of development in 1979, leading Elon through highly successful capital campaigns. During her 16-year tenure in development, alumni giving increased from 9 percent to 46 percent, and annual giving increased 92 percent. Williams retired from that position in 1995 and was named special assistant to the president.

In addition to her work with the university, Williams has been devoted to the larger community, serving on the boards of several organizations. She is also a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church and was named Woman of the Year by the Burlington Civitan Club in 1982.

Former Burlington and Alamance County teacher and now Elon University Vice President Emerita Jo Watts Williams received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine in a ceremony last month, the university announced last week.

State Sen. Rick Gunn, R-Alamance, and Elon University President Leo M. Lambert presented the honor on behalf of Gov. Pat McCrory as part of Elon’s annual Staff Appreciation. The event was held at McCrary Theater on May 30.

The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is a state honor recognizing individuals who have provided extraordinary service to North Carolina in the area of community service. It was first given in 1963.

An Elon graduate in 1955, Williams came to the area from Anson County. She served as a public school teacher in Burlington, Concord and Alamance County for 14 years. She held leadership positions in several education organizations, including the N.C. Association of Educators, before returning to Elon in 1969 as an instructor in the department of education and psychology.

Williams earned her master’s and doctoral degrees from UNC Greensboro. In 1977, she became Elon’s associate dean of academic affairs and director of the learning resource center.

She became vice president of development in 1979, leading Elon through highly successful capital campaigns. During her 16-year tenure in development, alumni giving increased from 9 percent to 46 percent, and annual giving increased 92 percent. Williams retired from that position in 1995 and was named special assistant to the president.

In addition to her work with the university, Williams has been devoted to the larger community, serving on the boards of several organizations. She is also a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church and was named Woman of the Year by the Burlington Civitan Club in 1982.

In 2013, the university named a campus residence hall in Williams’ honor.